Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-12-06
AMBERUKlS
xr.rrnIor, AND ,AluAprr SUBSTANCE.


tRocklAnd cosiisr.csss'tsl
The kockl.nd COansr U.Is,le OF las,
week stated brshy that the hshins
schooner. Peresriss White. has arrived
81 Gloucester ~i,h i25 pounds Of amber
gr.. found h,.ting between La Have
and Bro.ns hanks. The most generally
accepted estimate Of the value of The had
|. so, 900. though some estimates have
valued it's hish as SEQ, 900. IL 10 no,
Often the, smbsrgrs is found In ttis Per,
of the Atlantis. The las, New Easland
vessel to make . hnd Of .mbsrsris vas .
New Bedford whsler. which foasi .
pisee valued a, $4,000. Nov -hsi i'
smbersri.,
Nearly every one Is constantly using
.mbersr, itn every day In the hands
of l.dis. and gentlemen ,hroushoa, the
world. bu, comparatively f." people
koo~ ss,,hins about IL. l,s orsin 10
disputed E',n scientists do no, agree
upon he true .ouiees and although i' en-
ter. all house. where civilization reaches.
an immensely profitable trade in the CON.
modify is earned on. nine on, of ten Peo-
pie whom you mee, would no, kno-
~hA, you mean, II you mentioned the
name.
IL /. . slsie.like substance varying Ia
color from dark TO light gray. the darker
shades, which srr also densef Ia hbre.
being the mos, valuable. A piece
~sishing from ,-eniy 90 ,hifiy.hve
pognd. /. ,een ba, once 10 lifetime.
The mo., Of IL hsDdIed by the dealers i'
made up Of pieces only few ounces IN
weight l, is worth to-day about s2t
PER ounce. and daring the last few yesr'
hs. .Old a. high s $40 per ounce IN con-
sequence Of iis scarcity. Finding .
p.ses Of l, !. like fading IS note. You
are s likely. o. unliksly. TO tnd Il IA
one place a. another.
There ATE several theories ~ TO i's
origin. the generally accepted one being
that IL i, an accumulation of seerr,ed and
indisrsiible matter in the stomach OF
.iek whale. IL is found ell over the
globe ct r.rs intervals by ses.'sring men.
either nJ.,ins on the ~A,sf. esE up on
some ,hore or lodged inside the whale.
The greatest source Of supply 10 the
Arctic ocean. and also the southern ls'i-
,ude.. the usual cruising ground Of ~hsl.
ins vessels. TIE commanders are al
Say. on the lookout fOr II. 90 among the
.up,rs,iiions Of the sea !, i' considered an
omen Of good luck for the ship ever afief-
wards when her master brings home .
piece of smbsrgris. lie Is allowed .
portion Of the prOt's. You could put .
pi,e, worth $4,000 in Jour overeOa'
pocket. and from this you can under.
stand how the ,oilers oi the ocean never
cease their vigilance in hunting for u.
The fact that IL is the mosi Efficient
kno-n substance in producing the last
ins quality In p,riam.ry gives li i,s eno'.
nous commercial value. Civet aud
musk are u.ed for the same purpose. but
are no, 90 powerful. When . psrfame
is made. white ro-e. cas'is OF helio,roPe,
for example. the odor Of the aJ~ers would
quickly pass away s the ,piri,s forming
toe body Of the liquid evapOra,e. An
bsrsri. prevents this and holds back the
scent f0r days and weeks upon the hand.
ksrehief. When treated ~i,h sleosol Il
divide. up into an slmos, initiate number
Of particles. which are mixed In the per.
famsry and remain on the fabric after
the spirits have e,spOfa,ed. acting IS NIL
nuie reservoirs aud holding the pure GO.
senes Of the ao~sf after the cloth 10
perfectly dry. One oGncs Dissolved IN =
gallon Of alcohol will make . strons tine.
,gre In gallon Of perfamsfy. which COZ.
,sys al idea Of to~ fer is~ ounces OF
smbergris viii ~.
Its production !. limited to q few
pound. per year. whereas 1t Is the mos,
important factor 10 the millions Of gall
lons Of peIiamsry. When . large Pnee
is found the news VI the dpoo,ery !.
telegr.phsd to dsslsrs ard the markets
Of the world are Affected. Ia one ins,An-
&c . New York firm. some years sgo,
bough, up large portion Of the existing
supply and realized largely on the corner
thus producrd. Boston is,he most in.
aasnti.l centre. ss New Bedford. near II
hand, sends out more whaling ships than
any other city Of any county. The
owners Of ,hips cell the smbsrsris to The
Wholesale dealers. and although oil Large
drug stores ke-pa little on hand. Il Is
Tough, directly from the wholesale nsr
by psrfumsry deslenL